Oil spill from damaged tanker threatens Iran’s Hara mangroves

An oil slick from the bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer has reached Qeshm Island, threatening the UNESCO-listed Hara mangrove forests. The vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile near Oman on 3 August while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Hindu reports the mangroves are a vital ecological treasure and a Biosphere Reserve. Iran’s foreign ministry said preliminary evidence indicates a foreign bulk carrier as the source and called for compensation. Clean-up operations had largely cleared the slick by Wednesday evening, Iranian officials said, but monitoring continues.

Separately, a much larger spill off Oman from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, carrying Russian crude, has grown to over 2,000 sq km as of Wednesday. That vessel ran aground in June and has been leaking since. Timesnownews.com reports that the ongoing conflict has made assessment and clean-up more difficult. Environmentalists warn that damage to the mangroves could trigger a collapse of the local food chain and coastal defences.